Ceiling construction



Dec. 4, 1934. M, v z Re. 19,391

CEILING CONSTRUCTION Original Filed May 17, 1930 l6 FREDERICK/M 122/215.

2; -BY 5 Z6 Kg MM ywm Reissuecl Dec. 4, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE No. 453,141, May 17,

1930. Application for reissue Marjch122,.1933, Serial No. (562,031

17 Claims.

This invention, generally stated, relates to building structures and has more especial relation to a novel form'of ceiling construction in which plasterblocks, slabs, or tiles'are :employed. As commonly practiced in the plasterers trade, precast plaster blocks, slabs or tiles when once positioned in a ceiling construction form a permanent part thereof and should access to the space thereabove be desirable, for instance, .to inspect wiring, pipes, or the like, it.becomes necessary to tear down one or more complete blocks, slabs'or'tiles which when so removed areuseless for replacement. 7 These blocks, slabs, or tilesare relatively large and more or less expensive, and

in case a. number thereof are required'to be removed :it is apparent thatthe building costs are appreciably increased.

Such-blocks; due 1 to I their weight and i for other reasons, heretofore have .been attached to ,sup-

porting members .prior to-the, laying of ,a floor thereabove, and hence-access to the space between the floorandthe ceiling usually hasbeen ohtainedbyzbreaking "through :the floor rather than throughthe ceiling.

Furthermore, heretofore when slabs have :been used, themeans of supporting them hassresulted in slight irregularities in the positioning of the facing surfaces of the units so that .a coating of plaster is necessitated inorder to presentan 'evensurface.

One object of the present invention is to. overcome these .disadvantagesand-provide a novel iform -of ceiling construction in which;.pre+cast Lh1ocks,.slabs. oratilesmay be takendown andsreplacedat' will 'withoutdestroying the usefulness .ofJthe :same.

A ziurther 'objectofithe' present inventionis to provide a. construction of this kindceiling unitsimay be-lzcheaply. manufactured lat a-central plant sandshipped: for erection, and which runits mayilbeaexpeditiously putxup and; taken :down by unskilledlabor.

A-stll1 further obiectof the :present invention ls to provide a pre-icast block, s1ab,.or tile for :erection and replacement .purposes .smarranged that: the :means for attachment zto and removal from a channel ironeare hidden". from view. when the unit is in: itsu-normal; functioning position.

Another object of: my; invention .islzto provide .a

'aiovelconstruction inwhichthe ceiling slabs are suspended with their faces in acommonplane "and their edges inabutting relationship sothat the need for applying a finishedzcoating of plaster is eliminated.

""Andtherobject of my invention is..to :provide ;a

novel construction in which preformed surfacing units may be suspended from below a 11001 or other supporting structure after the latter has been completed.

A Stillflllthfll'. 0bj80t,0f ,thepresent invention is to provide aceiling .unit of :the characterstated in which in its .normal functioning position it has the appearance .of -a conventional plaster block, slabor tile :yet which maybe readily .removed without destroying the ceiling structure or unit'itself.

- Otherand further objects. of the present invention reside in rtheip'rovision of general detailsof construction .and :ir'r; the. arrangement, combination, and connectionof parts for attaining the results soughtgby :the'zforegoing objects.

Withtheseand stillother objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, :the invention consists: of the novel. construction and arrangement of parts as .will hereinafter morezfully appear.

'The nature, characteristic features, and sc p (iflthe invention will :be more fully understood from thegiollowingdescription taken inconnec- .tion with the-accompanying drawi formin partjhereofyand;inxwhich-: so

trig. .1 isa:view in;horizontal-sec io of a efling. construction: embodying the invention and illustrating several .-pr -;ca Jolwks sla s t le in normalfunctioningposition V Fig. 2isa frasmentaryyiewin s ctio i i u tr mg the ;manner'r f;disen asin cone efxttleab qeks slabs, ".ontiles fromsth po ition di clo e n: e-.,l

.Figls isa-top emlanzview o on o th bl a slabsmrtilesrshnwnimli n;. i h s n;

Fig. 4 is-awiewin sec... ta 111 91 he lin 14-14 ofiFig-sfi;

i Fig: =5 iswaxtonor :p1an-,view.- of oneof the latch- .ing-devicesashown; in; Fi s-. (to-' in tach d; po

tion; i

Fi $631588 fragmentar -view i -s i u 95 ,tratina 1a rre-east:block,..s1ab :o ti solid com .struction inlieu-of the hql-lowed-type shown in the eeoingrii ures;

-Eig. 7 is a: or plan View ofthe key shown imFig. hand Fig. -'8- is a, fragment .z-inaamodified form key.

Eor::t:he purpose-or i lustratin in e 1 :have shown; in t nec m ny ne w neforms thereof which; ar 5 pr s n pre re b m 105 :sincerhesame have b eniau di r i e toe v :satisfactory: :and rel a e.- r s l t u h it i to be understood that th ser ou i um t e .pfswhicl-nmysinre QIIv Q St can be usly rarrangedandmrsanized an th m ti n is no ary view, in section illustratnot limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the reference numeral 10 designates a floor of concrete, supported in any suitable and well known manner, anchored in which are straps 11 for supporting channel irons 12. The channel irons 12, as shown in Fig. 1, and as is common practice are aligned in a common horizontal plane. Suspended from the channel irons 12 by means ofv hangers 13 are other channel irons 14 which are arranged at right angles to the channel irons 12, see Fig. 1. Each of these sets of channel irons may be of the type known to the trade as plasterers channels, the larger ones being approximately two and one half inches 'wide and the others being as small as three quarters of an inch. These have been used in the past for suspending metal lath, plaster board, or similar materials to which a finishing coat of plaster is to be applied and which need support'intermediate the fioor supporting beams to which they might otherwise be attached.

The present invention has to deal with means for suspending from the channel irons 14 a ceiling structure of the type comprising a plurality of pre-cast blocks, slabs or tiles of cementitious ma-' terial which in position form the finished ceiling and are designed to eliminate the need for a finishing coat of plaster. Each slabais of .quite large dimension and relatively expensive: particularly when it must be discarded because as commonly practiced in the plasterers trade it'is necessary to break. a block, slab, or tile away from adjacent units to permit inspection of wiring or pipes below the floorilO. According to the present invention I precast blocks, slabs, or tiles of cementitious materialata central plant and ship to desired location for detachable connection to the channel irons 14 so that the said blocks, slabs, or tiles may be readily installed and detached by unskilled labor. The blocks, slabs, or tiles 15, as shown in Figs. -1, 2, and 3, are hollowed out at 16 to provide an air space for sound deaden ing purposes and have marginal ledges 17 with vertically arranged openings 18 therethrough, see Fig. 4, for the insertion therethrough of a key for a purpose to presently appear. Fixed upon the ledge 17' of each block, slab ortile at each of the four corners thereof by means of screws 19 is a thin, fiat plate-20, best seen in Fig. 3. Mounted upon each plate 20 for at least partial rotation around its vertical axis is a finger :21 having a hooked terminal 22 and a base plate 23 having swivelled relation at 24, see Fig. 4, with the plate 20. The swivelled portion of each base plate 23 is apertured in alignment with the apertured part 18 of a block, slab or tile, see Fig. 4, to receive the end of a removable-key best seen in Figs. 2, 4, and 7. The key comprises a handle 25 and shank 26, which latter is preferably of hexagonal cross section to cooperatively engage with the opening through the swivelled part of the base plate 23, whereby the baseplate 23 and its finger 21 may be shifted about a vertical axis to cause the hooked terminal 22 to engage or be disengaged from a channel iron l4. Thus, a workman, standing upon a scaffold beneath a ceiling being erected, positions a block, slab, or tile between adjacent channel irons 14 and introduces the above described key through the various openings 18 in the blocks, slabs or tiles to engage the hexagonal openings in the swivelled base plates and by a slight twist of the wrist causes the fingers one at a time to engage over the tops of the engage the hooked ends of the fingers from the channel irons 14, whereupon the blocks, slabs or tiles are free to be lowered. Should it be desired I mayprovide the outer end of a key with a spring pressed detent 27, as shown in Fig. 8, so that in case a block, slab or tile sticks in trying to remove'the same the key may be pushed further up through the aperture in the base plate 23 untilthe spring pressed detent assumes the position shown in Fig. 8, whereupon downward pull of the key causes dislodgment of the block, slab or tile. Obviously if desired the top of the key may be provided with screw threads to engage screw threads in the aperture of a base plate, or other forms 'of keys may be employed to cause disengagement of'tight fitting blocks, slabs, or tiles, the important feature, however, being to provide a key for moving the hooked end of a finger from a channel iron 14. The blocks, slabs, or tiles 15 may be of solid cross section as shown in Fig.- 6 if desired instead of hollowed out as shown in the other figures, and the blocks, slabs, or tiles may be reinforced or not as desired.

' -whatlclaimis:

1. In a ceiling construction, a pair of suitably supported channel irons, a pre-cast ceiling unit of cementitious material arranged therebeneath and spanning the channel irons, said unit having arranged upon its upper face opposed," substantially hook-like members movable about their vertical axes for engagement with said channel irons to removably suspend said units, said units and, members being apertured in vertical alignment to accommodate a removable tool to secure shiftingofsaidhook-like members.

2. In aceiling construction a pair of suitably supported channel irons, a rectangular shaped pre-cast ceiling unit of cementitiousmaterial arranged therebeneath and spanning the channel irons, said unit having arrangedupon its upper face adjacent its respective corners opposed, substantially hook-like members movable about their vertical axes for engagement with said channel irons to removably suspend said units, said units and members being apertured in vertical alignment to accommodate a removable tool to secure shifting of said hooklike members.

3. In a ceiling construction a pair of. suitably supported channel irons, a pre-cast ceiling unit of cementitious material arranged therebeneath and spanning the channel irons, said unit having arranged upon its upper face. opposed, substantially hook-like swivelled members movable about their vertical axes for engagement with said channel irons to removably suspend said units, said units and members being apertured in vertical alignment to accommodate a removable tool to secure shifting of said hook-like members.

4. In a' ceiling construction a pair of-suitably "supported-channel irons, a pre-cast ceiling unit of cementitious material arranged therebeneath and spanning the channel irons, said unit having arranged upon its upper face opposed, sub- .stantia'llyVhook-like members arranged in staggered relation and movable about their vertical axes for engagement with said channel irons to removably suspend said units, said units and members being apertured in vertical alignment to accommodate a removable tool to secure shifting of said hook-like members.

5. In a ceiling construction a pair of suitably supported channel irons, a pre-cast ceiling unit of cementitious material arranged therebeneath and spanning the channel irons, said unit having arranged upon its upper face opposed, substantially hook-like members movable about their vertical axes for engagement with said channel irons to removably suspend said units, a metal base detachably secured to said unit for supporting each hook-like member in swivelled relation, said units and members being apertured in vertical alignment to accommodate a removable tool to secure shifting of said hook-like members.

6. A room interior construction comprising a support, a multiplicity of units adapted to form an interior surface for said room; an intermediate support between said first named support and said units supported by the former and supporting the latter; said units being arranged in abutting relationship; and means, operable from the room side of said units and concealed by said units, for attaching and detaching each of said units to and from said intermediate support.

7. A room interior construction comp-rising a support, a plurality of channel members carried by said support, a plurality of units carried by said channel members, each of said units comprising a fireproof rigid structure and also means for detachably connecting individual units to said channel members.

8. A room interior construction comprising a support; a plurality of rigid fireproof units; intermediate supports, means for suspending said intermediate supports below and in spaced relationship with said first named supports; said units being arranged in abutting relationship, and means for attaching said units to said intermediate supports.

9. A room interior construction comprising a support, a multiplicity of rigid surfacing units, and means for detachably connecting each of said units to said support independently of the others, said means forming a part of each of said units and accessible from the room side thereof.

10. In a room interior construction, a support,

a multiplicity of rigid abutting" interior surfacing units, and means carried by said units for removably connecting each of said units, individually, to said support.

11. A ceiling construction comprising a support; a multiplicity of surfacing units; hooks connected to each of said units said hooks being movable in a plane parallel to the face of said units into engagement with said support.

12. A ceiling construction comprising a completed floor, a support below said floor, a plurality of abutting units below said support, and means, carried by each of said units and operable from below said floor, connecting said units to said support.

13. A building construction comprising a multiplicity of channel beams forming a support for a ceiling; a multiplicity of rigid fireproof surfacing units; a multiplicity of plasterers channels; hangers, suspending said plasterers channels from and in spaced relationship beneath said beams, and means for attaching said units to said plasterers channels.

14. In a room interior construction, supports; a multiplicity of rigid surfacing units each having one face adapted to form a portion of the interior surface of a room; and means for individually detachably connecting each of said units to said supports, said connecting means lying behind the surfacing faces of said units and operable from the room side thereof.

15. In a room interior construction, supports; a multiplicity of rigid surfacing units each having one face adapted to form a portion of the interior surface of a room and movable hooks for individually detachably connecting each of said units to said supports; said hooks lying behind the surfacing faces of said units and operable from the room side thereof.

16. A ceiling construction comprising a support, surfacing units, hooks fixed to said surfacing units, said hooks including a receptacle for receiving a removable tool insertable from the room side of said units for operatively connecting said hooks with said support.

17. A ceiling construction comprising a fioor; channel members carried by said fioor; fireproof surfacing units below said channel members; and hooks in detachable engagement with said channel members, said hooks having movable por- 12 

